The power of appreciation will open the pathway for your patients to follow your lead and accept your encouragement. Used authentically, it could very well be the most valuable method to get the Clinical Yes and overcome any objections.
For fear of keeping this too simple you discount the real significance, I’m going to give you a couple of examples. Be sure to pay attention to the word usage and placement.
Let’s pick up where a patient has been diagnosed, problems and proof established, and a pathway to health described and discussed from Doctor to Patient.
Our Doctors ask my famous question, “So, what would you like to see happen?” Or, “Now that we have reviewed all of this, please tell me what you’d like to do about {insert problem statement}.” These questions are the key to telling whether or not the patient is on the same page, has been attentive and is finding value in anything you have presented.
Let’s assume the patient acts indecisive and/or non-committal. You now can express praise and appreciation to nurture the patient.
“You know Mrs. Patient, I appreciate so much that you are here today and taking positives and proactive steps towards your health. I have to say, the thing I love most about what I do and about people like you giving me the privilege to provide life changing dentistry is the trust you place in me to help you achieve the optimal solution for the challenges that we discussed. I know that with my guidance, the right information and perfect clarity you can confidently make the best decision for you.”
Now, that’s a long example but it illustrates the words and emotions necessary to keep the patient connected. You can pick and choose the sentences that apply to your situation.
Remember, I do not have a human interacting in front of me responding with both verbal and NONverbal language so I layer my response to accommodate for that.
Here is the power at work…
We are politely reminding the patient that we are the health expert who knows what we are talking about. It’s the exact reason why they are here today. Using the appreciation approach is soft but more effective than saying, “I’m the doctor, you’re the patient, why would you not listen to me and follow my advice.”
The other and somewhat opposite approach that can be used is saying to the patient…
“Mrs. Patient, I know you appreciate the fact that I have your best interest at heart and I can’t over emphasize the importance of doing something about {insert problem statement.”
All of this is about placing appreciation in a sincere and meaningful way that builds trust and allows your encouragement to carry more weight. Remember, no one wins if the patient walks out with problems or possibilities left unresolved.
Finally, the short version about money, insurance or anything else the patient might use as an excuse to reject or delay a YES decision.
“Mrs. Patient, I appreciate very much that you are concerned about the amount of financial investment necessary to get you back to optimal health, enjoying the foods you love again and keeping your mouth functioning properly for the rest of your life. I know that you understand that I’m here to help you no matter what might be standing in your way. So let’s talk about what we can do to help make this possible because anything less than ideal, is less that you deserve.”
It’s critical to display empathy for any hurdle or obstacle that stands in a patient’s way. Showing you understand but are still confident in what the patient deserves goes a long way in helping the patient believe he/she deserves it as well.
You can practice on each other and role-play. Make it your own by using your personality and approach. Remember, the most important thing is to be REAL, be TRUTHFUL, be POSITIVE, be PASSIONATE and be CONFIDENT so you can help your patients get healthy.
Lastly, I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving. We are certainly grateful for all of you and privileged for the relationship we have. You give us so many reasons to be thankful and to appreciate each and every day.
